Where the GOP stance on minorities is concerned, there should be no Rush to judgement.
In the panic and vitriol that has been the hallmark of Republican reaction to President Obama’s having won a second term, there have been some inklings of moderation. Even Sean Hannity, the Fox News talking head, has suddenly espoused a very relaxed position (compared to his previous one, that is) on immigration.
One right wing pundit who is holding his ground is none other than Rush Limbaugh. Limbaugh insists that the GOP is diverse enough and that “pandering” toward minorities is a horrible course of action.
This Limbaugh quote sums it up. (from Electablog):
The usual suspects are out, and they’re saying, “Rush, we gotta reach out now to the Hispanics and reach out to the minorities, blacks.” Okay, let me remind you of something…Let me take you back to the Republican convention. We had Suzanne Martinez, female Hispanic governor, New Mexico. We had Condoleezza Rice, African-American, former secretary of state. Both of those people imminently qualified, terrifically achieved. They have reached the pinnacles of their profession.
We had Marco Rubio. We had a parade of minorities who have become successful Americans. And they all had a common story: up from nothing, hard work, their parents sacrificed for them. Now, why didn’t that work, folks? The answer to that is our future. Why didn’t it work? Some people say, “Well, Rush, we pandered.” No, we didn’t pander. Everybody says that we need to reach out to minorities. We have plenty of highly achieved minorities in our party, and they are in prominent positions, and they all have a common story.
There are several things about his sentiments that are worth making fun of. First, it’s laughable to call the GOP diversified based on a handful of notable minorities within it. Based on the election results, Hispanics and African-Americans don’t feel like its nearly enough.
Speaking of the minority view of the Republican Party, after the trouncing that Mitt Romney took in the election from minority voters, the idea that trying to come any closer to meeting their needs or making them feel acknowledged would constitute “pandering” by GOP candidates or the party itself. This is the exact kind of subtly racist thought processes that are partially responsible for where the GOP is now.
Not to mention that “pandering” is a very interesting choice of words from Limbaugh in particular. It was a scant six years ago when he was stopped at an airport while returning from the Dominican Republic. Aside from the three buddies he had in tow, he also had about a month’s supply of Viagra in an unmarked bottle (no prescription). Having just returned from the Dominican Republic, know to be a favorite spot for rich guys due to the free flowing sex trade, the logical assumption came around with simple math:
Rush + 3 other rich white guys + Viagra + DR prostitutes = …well, you know what.
So, yeah. “Pandering” is a word I’d avoid if I were Rush Limbaugh.
Progressively Real 